Power-transmission gear



Jan. 4 1927. 1,613,525

- H. MUNRO POWER TRANSMISSION GEAR.

Filed Nov/2 1923 .Imlau'rufl fill-Ran, H. Human.

BY 2? I Lil Fatented Jan. 4-, 1927.

Ul illTEl) STATES r'ranr rFIcE.

POWER-TRANSMISSION GEAR.

Application filed. November 2, 1923, Serial No. 672,384, and in Canada March 3, 1922'.

My invention relates to the transmission of power through the medium of compressed air, and the objects of my invention are, first, to obviate the necessity for a clutch to connect a prime mover to a driven member, second, silence, third, provision of practia lly unlimited gear ratios between minimum and ma:-:imu1n, fourth flexibility, fifth complete isolation of prime mover from transmission shocks.

1 attain these objectsby the mechanism illustrated. in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment 1 of my ii'nproved machine.

l igure 2 is a vertical section.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4: -4: of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of l igure 4i.

l igure 6 is a side elevation of the rotary distributing valve.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8--8 of Figure 6. p 7

in the drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views, A desiguatcs the device as a whole comprising a plurality of cylinders A, B, O, D, E and F. 'lhese cylinders are arranged radially in two sets of three on a common crank case 10, see Figure 3.

Referring now to Figure 2, 11 and 12 are two individual crank shafts, the crank shaft 11 being connected through connecting rods to pistons in the cylinders A, B and C and crank shaft 12 being similarly connected to pistons in the cylinders D, E and F. The crank shaft 12, besides delivering the power generated by cylinders I), E and F, is also used to rotate a rotary distributor valve 13 (l igures 2, (i, 7 and 8) provided with a suitable housing 14. This valve is formed as a hollow cone of suitable material, preferably ot metal, provided with three annular grooves 15, 16 and 17 on its periphery, the end grooves 15 and 17 being continuous while the centre groove 16 is interrupted at diainctrical points 18, as shown in Figure 7. The groove 15 communicates with one half oi the groove 16 and the groove 17 communicat s with the other halt of thegroove 16, as shown in Figures 6 and S.

pipe 25 to the control valve The valve housing 14 is mounted on the end of the crank case and surrounding the crank shaft 12, as shown in Figure 2, the housing having a tapered bore to fit the taper of the valve 13, while equi-distant around the circumference are a plurality of ports 19 adapted to communicate with the groove 16. Each of these ports is connected to cylinders D, E and F, respectively, by pipes 20, 2.1 and 22.

The housing 1 1 is also provided with holes 23, one. of which communicates with the groove and the other with the groove 17 and connected to control valve 24:, see Figure 5, by pipes 25 and 26, control valve 24 being in turn connected to the cylinders A, B and C by the branch pipe 27, see Figure 4;.

The heads of the cylinders A, B and C are fitted with automatic inlet and discharge valves of either the ball or mushroom type.

"he operation of themachine is as fol- .lows: hen the crank shaft 11 is connected to the prime mover and set in motion, the pistons in the cylinders A, B and G draw in air and compressit, delivering it to the con trol valve 24 through the pipe 27. If the plug of the control valve is turned to as suine a diagonal position, shown by full lines in Figure 5, then the compressed air is passed to the groove 17 of the distributor valve 13 by, means of the pipe The air will pass from the groove 17 to one half of 16 and from 16,;through ports and pipes 20, 21 and 22, to cylinders D, E and F in rotation. The other half of the groove 16 will act as the exhaust port, allowing the spent air to be discharged from cylinders to groove 15 into and out through exit 28. This cycle continues as long as con trol valve is in the position just mentioned and thus the compressed air from cylinders A, B and O imparts its energy to D, E and F, causing them to rotate the crank shaft 12 continuously in one direction, this crank shaft, in turn, being connected as required to the mechanism to be driven.

It the plug of the control valve 13 be placed in the position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 5, then, instead of the air passing through pipe 26, it will go through pipe to groove 15, thus reversing the functions of the two halves of the groove 16 and thereby causing the crank shaft 12 to rotate in the opposite direction.

Should the plug of control valve be set half way between the two settings in a substantiallyhorizontal position, then the compressed airwill PMS both sides of plug and so out to the atmosphere through the exhaust pipe :28 and no power would be delivered tothe cylinders D, and F, thereby attaincylinder piston'rods, a rotary distributor valve of hollow cone shape and provided inn; a tree engine condition withoutxany clutch mechanism being needed.

Again, if the control plug'is turned to one of its extreme settings, the compressed air will he deflected to one side ot the cylinder valve to the-cylinders D, E and- Fund crank shatt=12 will be revolved and take up its load in whateverdirection of rotation the operator may wish;-

The' different ear ratios between the crank shafts-11 and 12 is provided by the cylinders D, E i and F lagging behind the cylinders A, B and C-accordmg to'theload on the crank shaft 12, such, to: instance,as

the varying road conditions met hy selfpropelled vehicles. What I clann as my invention is:

1. In a power transmissiongear, a stationary crankcase, compressor cylinders and power cylinaers mounted radially 'in the crank case, pistons and rods for the cylinders, a crankshaft connected to the piston rods of the compressor cylinders, a second crank shaft connected to the piston rods of-the power cylinders; a distributor valve formed with annular grooves-therein onthe second mentioned crank shaft, I a housing having;

The-deviceas claimed in claim 9 v which the interrupted groove is diametricah lyinterrupted and is located between the the latter half of the continuous grooves, each of grooves coi municatingwith a interrupted groove.

l. In a device oi the character described andin combination-with a plurality of compressor cylinders andworkingcylinders and crank shafts forsaid cylinders, a distributor valve ontheworking cylinder crank shaft,

orifices" therein communicating with said" grooves, a control valve and pipesconnecting the control valve with said orifices-and a branch "pipe connecting the "control valve with the-compressor cylinders.

2.;111 a power transmission gearya crank casing, a plurality of radiating compressing cylinders anda plurality of radiatingworkingcylinders arranged in two sets; a crank case common to said cylinders, pistons and rods for the cylinders, a driving crank shaft} operatively connected to the" compressorcylinder piston rods and a driven crank shaft operatively connected to the working.

substantially cone shaped and provided with three metrically interrupted, one half thereor comgrooves, the centre groovebein diamunicating with one outside I groove and the other half with the other outside groove,'a valve casing having a series of orifices arranged at equal distances around the circunr ferenceand designed to re ister with said centregroove and pipe means connecting the V orifices with said working cylinders, a pair of orificesadapted to individuallycommunicate; with each valve 1 of the A remaining grooves a control valve and pipe means con-'- necting the second mentioned orifices with' said valve and pipe means connecting the control valve with the compressor CyllIlClQIS;

Inwitness whereof I' have hereunto set my hand.

ALFREDfHORNER MUNRO. 

